


Can I Help?

by dsa_archivist



Category: due South
Genre: F/M, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-04-01
Updated: 1999-04-01
Packaged: 2018-11-10 09:20:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11124279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsa_archivist/pseuds/dsa_archivist
Summary: Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived atDue South Archive. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDue South Archive collection profile.





	Can I Help?

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

Can I help?

 

Story set during "Odds"  
Major Meggie warnings  
No flames, otters or flaming otters please. Although comments are good  
and  
keep me happy, ...........TimTams also appreciated.  
 **PG or PG-13** ("Oh God" "Oh hell" and alcohol  
abuse)  
Standard disclaimer - If they belonged to me they would have  
gotten  
together long ago.  
  


## Can I help?

  
  
By Vickchick  
  
  
  
Two men sat in a park, one making "whooooooooskegneddy" noises,  
the other trying to hide his annoyance at his best friends antics,  
  
"Fraser.....what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm telling you a ghost story Ray, it is customary to exchange  
ghost  
stories around a campfire in the middle of the wilderness."  
  
"We aren't in the wilderness"  
  
"Its an approximation of wilderness"  
  
"No its not Fraser.....we're in a park in the middle of Chicago........I  
had to step over a wino and kick 3 junkies to get here.....this is not  
the  
Yukon Territories"  
  
"Its the North West Territories or the Yukon....."  
his friend corrected him  
"...well the thing is, I was feeling a little suffocated at the  
Consulate  
and I needed some room to breathe..."  
  
While Ray reminded him that he was not Daniel Boone and that the air  
was  
not fit to breathe, Fraser reflected on the suffocating tension  
at the  
Consulate recently.....  
  
* I wish I could just get inside her head and work out what the matter  
is.  
Following the Bounty episode, She has been irritated, irritating  
and down  
right snarky. I don't know if its me or if she has withdrawn  
for another  
reason, why is she so tense? *  
  
His conversation with Ray and Mr Tucci, and Mr Tucci's shooting forced  
the  
issue to the back of his mind.........  
  
Later.........  
  
His head was overwhelmed with thoughts.......  
  
* Why is Denny coming on to me, why do I find her so attractive when  
I'm in  
love with someone else, why is She being so tense the last  
few weeks *  
his thought were interrupted with a familiar voice calling  
his name,  
although not in the manner he had hoped for at this time  
of night.  
  
"Fraser....Fraser Fraser Fraser Fraser.....off duty and still at  
work.....you've really got to learn how to relax......look at me, do  
I seem  
tense?"  
  
* Well no...... in fact more relaxed than I have ever seen you.....in  
fact  
......I think, no..... yes...... you're drunk! *  
  
He listened as she babbled about a Spanish ambassador, Latin horns and  
not  
being in until late the next morning.....  
and as she left he turned his thoughts to Denny Scarpa, ,her magical  
massage, being taught how to play poker, Denny's kiss, and his growing  
feelings of being deceived.  
  
Following his conversation about oaths and loyalty with Frannie, he  
realised that he could only ever be loyal to Her and grew concerned about  
what her activities last night with the Spanish ambassador had entailed.  
After Ray had Denny ensconced in her room in preparation for the  
game  
tonight he bid goodbye and returned to the consulate around  
9 am. The only  
other person present was Turnbull, on duty as usual.  
Around 10am she arrived at the Consulate and he could see from the upstairs  
window that she was not in good shape or in a good mood after her night  
out.  
* Oh dear, she'll hit the roof when I tell her about the poker game and  
the  
sting tonight, She hates FiBIes, damsels in distress, and extra  
curricular  
duties.... and not necessarily in that order either. I  
hope I can smooth  
the way somewhat.  
  
15 minutes later he knocked tentatively at her door.  
  
"Enter" she barked, winced at the loudness of her voice, her  
aching head,  
and looked up to see him standing there with a tray  
in hand.  
"Constable?"  
  
"Sir.... for you.... orange juice to wash down 2 paracetamol, and  
coffee of  
course"  
he smiled down at her as she held her head in her hands, rubbing her  
temples.  
  
"Fraser, you always know how to make someone feel better about themselves"  
  
setting the tray down on her desk, he had to know.....  
" Your night...... was it enjoyable?"  
  
"Well...... no not really......we went to a bar .......* That much  
was  
obvious * ......had some drinks.....and then Juan got upset when  
I decided  
to dance on the table."  
  
* Oh dear *  
  
"Upset his feeling of Latin machismo..... he called me a few names....  
although I was drunk I could understand the Spanish labels..... I told  
him  
to get knotted.....got into a taxi and went to another place.....and  
got  
into a drinking round with someone who thought that "girlies"  
can't  
drink......proved him wrong.....until a bouncer put me in a  
cab about 5am  
this morning. I've had about 4 hours sleep.....no not  
a "good" night as  
such"  
  
He stood by as she downed the paracetamol, orange juice and started sipping  
her coffee, groaning at a sudden pain.  
  
"What is it Sir?"  
  
" One should not dance on tables in stilettos Fraser, my feet keep  
cramping  
up"  
  
With one moment he approached her, spun the chair away from her desk.....  
"Allow me"  
  
With that he bent and lifted a stocking clad foot into his lap and gently  
massaged her right foot. She looked up from her coffee and stared into  
his  
eyes, before the feeling overtook her and she gently closed them.  
  
"Thankyou kindly Fraser"  
  
After a few minutes he dared to ask the question that he had raised with  
himself when her saw her the night before.  
"So why go out and get drunk? Is there an underlying problem that  
has been  
troubling you?"  
  
She raised her eyelids and found him staring at her with those earnest  
blue  
eyes. She wanted to trust him, needed to trust him. Finding  
herself  
drowning in the blue depths, she heard a voice that she then  
realised was  
her own.  
" I've been having some work problems lately"  
  
he waited for her to elaborate, reveal her thoughts, as she had once  
earlier requested.  
  
"I've .......had feelings lately...."  
  
As he swapped her right foot and started to gently rub her left  
"Yes...."  
  
* Oh hell *..... she felt wretched enough already....* It couldn't get  
any  
worse................ Deep breath Meg, exhale *  
"Fraser...Ben, I've fallen in love with you.....I know its wrong....  
you're  
my subordinate, completely inappropriate springs to mind actually.....  
I  
can only try to be more professional in the future....."  
  
His hands stopped stroking and he gently placed her foot on the floor.  
Looking back up at her, struggling with words, trying to regain her  
composure.  
" Has the paracetamol helped?"  
  
* Oh God *  
"I don't know"  
  
Smiling now, he reached up and gently stroked her cheek, hearing her  
sharp  
intake of breath.  
"Then I propose..... that you lie down for and hour or so......  
then we  
walk in the park..... cool air is therapeutic. Then lunch  
at a cafe I know  
where they make a marvellous Soup de Jour, chicken  
soup is also helpful to  
restore the electrolyte balance."  
  
He raised himself up and gently brushed his lips onto hers. She kissed  
him  
back with a feeling that surprised herself and certainly him.  
Helping her  
out of her chair he placed his hand on her lower back  
and guided her to the  
chaise lounge against the wall of her office.  
After kissing her again her  
gently murmured into her hair.  
" I'll see you in an hour, try to rest up my love"  
  
He exited the room.  
  
* He loves me, Oh God, he loves me *  
Visions of Ottawa, being asked to explain herself, briefly entered her  
head, pushed aside with a vision of a future she had hoped for but had  
never dared to dwell on.  
  
After a rest.  
  
Later, she placed the key under Turnbulls hat.  
" Constable Fraser and myself will be gone for and hour of two on  
business,  
guard the Consulate with your life"  
  
Further down the street, out of sight of the Consulate, he reached for  
her  
hand, and he prepared to tell her about the poker game that night.  
They  
walked comfortably down the road.  
  
Together.  
  
The End......  
  
  
Return to Due South Fiction Archive


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